Card table



c. w. MAYER MAW CARD TABLE Filed May 51, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7E' n f6 f7 /1/ fz /W/ff W L l; 30 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY ZJIMSM C.- W, MAYER CARD TABLE Filed May 31, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y INVENTOR CEL/,WM5 l/l/.MH YE@ A V f ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 24, 1935 PATENT oFFlcE -g CARD TABLE Charles W. Mayer, Rochester, N. Y.

Application May 31, 1933, Serial No. 673,643

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to playing tables and it particularly relates to card tables which are suitable for playing bridgeV and other two, three or four hand games.

Card tables as at present constructed are usually of non-metallic construction and with flat square tops and folding legs, one being usually positioned at each corner. The sides of the table are provided with wooden lips, which usually project slightly above the playing surface of the table and extend substantially below the bottom of the table to form a-recess where the legs may be placed.

In utilizing these tables considerable difficulty has been experienced in handling the cards, due to the fact that the surface of the table which does not permit of ready movement of the cards without excessive wear thereon. The surfaces ofthe tables have usually been made of fabric with the result that there is considerable cohesion between the face of the card and the table, preventing ready slipping and playing thereof. Moreover, the lip at the end of the table will usually catch the edge of the card in being drawn adjacent to the player and prevent such cards from being readily lifted into the players hand.

In addition, it is usually customary to serve liquid refreshments during the game and very frequently some of such liquid willV spill onto the table. Most of theaplaying tables, due to their construction, have a slightly concave form with the result that such liquid'will spread over the playing surface and will wet the cards and cause the table to be moist or damp for a considerable period of time. This will not only ruin the deck of cards but will interrupt the game.

An object of this invention is to provide a playing table which will be of inexpensive, durable and light construction and which will permit ofready handling and playing of the cards, particularly in regard to lifting the cards from the table to the players hand. Y

Another object is to provide a cardl playing table which simultaneously maybe used for the dispensing of liquid refreshments, without great possibility of any spilled liquid flowing over o-r causing moistening of the playing surface, and without danger of wetting the cards being played.

Other objects will be Yobvious andwill appear during the course of the following specication.

In accomplishing the objects of the present inventionV it has been found most satisfactory to provide the usual square card playing table designed for four-handed games such as bridge, with an elevated central portion. central Aportion should preferably Yextend over the major portion of the table but should not extend to the edges thereof at any place.

Preferably, sufficient space should be left at the edges adjacent the player below the elevated This elevated central portion for stacking or suitable placement c;

of the cards which have been taken up during the play. The central portion is preferably of circular form and may be desirably slightly domed toward its center, but other forms of elevated centers may be utilized. Preferably the elevated center is positioned symmetrically in respect to the center of the table.

At each corner of the table there is preferablyV provided an enclosure in which liquid refreshn 1,0;

resultant top then placed on the table. 20.

Although not generally desired, in some cases the top may be made of metal preferably covered with an insulating material which may be pressed rigidly onto the metal base or combined therewith to form a unitary whole. stances, the elevated central portion of the table may be placed thereon as a separate individual element.

By co-rrugating the table top or by doming it as previously described, the table not only will be 30 stronger and more durable but, in addition, it will be easier to remove the cards from the table and to grasp them with the lingers at the edges thereof.

The above and'other objects will appear more 35 clearly from the following detailed description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawings: 40

construction with the legs in folded position. 45 v Fig. 3 is a side sectional view of a modified top construction. Y

Figs. 4 and 5 show another embodiment in top and side sectional view, respectively, Fig. 5 being taken upon the line 5`5 of Fig. 4. 50

In the figures the top I0 is provided with the supporting legs II, provided with the brackets I2, which may be folded under the table as indicated in Fig. 2.

As shownV in Figs. l and 2 the top le is pref- 55 erably made of a single sheet of material which is provided with a centralV elevated portion I3 and with ridge portions or ribs I4 and I5. The elevated portion I3, together with the ribs I4 and I5 will form a very rigid and durable struc- 60 For eX- 15':

In some in- 25,

ture which is preferably bowed or convexed upwardly.

The table top I0 may be provided with the depending edge |6, which, as indicated in Fig. 2, is reinforced by the slat The elevated portion I3 of the table may be provided with the corrugations I8 as indicated which may either be circular as indicated in Fig. 1, or transverse.

It is evident that the elevated portion I3 will conveniently serve for the playing of cards and that the cards, due to the corrugated roughened surface I8, will slip with relative ease to the edges 20 of such elevated central portion 3 where they may be lifted by the players. Due to the construction of the central portion of the table I3 the cards will slip most readily and will not adhere thereto.

In the relatively depressed portions 2| adjacent each player the cards or tricks may be conveniently stacked when they have been removed from the central playing portion I3. The corner portions formed within the ridges I4 and I5 and outside of the elevated central portion I3 will conveniently' serve for the reception or" glasses or other containers for liquids and if any liquid spills there will be no danger of it spreading over the playing surface I3 nor the stacking surface 2|.

It Will be noted that the cards may be most readily removed from both the central elevated portion I3, as Well as from a stacking portion 2| over the edges 20 and I6 respectively, since these edges are not provided with lips to catch the edges of the cards.

In one embodiment to which the invention is not restricted, it was found satisfactory when the table was made about inches square, while the central elevated portion was made about 20 inches square, leaving a stacking place 2| of about 5 inches in depth.

The corrugations or wavy eiTect I8 on the elevated portion I3 may be conveniently prepared with a depth of 0.01" and may be about 1% inch Wide, center to center. It has been found most convenient to elevate the central portion of the table about 3/1 over the stacking portions 2|, which is somewhat more than the thickness of a normal finger, and the ridges I4 and I5 about one-half of this distance.

In the embodiment of Fig. 3 a table of ordinary construction 3!! may be employed and upon this table may be conveniently placed the center element 3|. The center elevated element 3| may have a surface 32 shaped similar as at I8 on the surface I3 in Figs. 1 and 2, and if desired, it may be provided with a backing'33 of wood or other material preferably to increase its weight.

The bottom of the backing 33 is provided with the knobs 34 serving as legs to desirably position the elevation on the playing table. To the edges of the table are preferably nailed or otherwise connected at 35 the exible edging 31 which extends preferably slightly below the bottom of the knobs 34 so that it will closely and frictionally contact the top 39 of the table.

Fig. 3 illustrates diagrammatically how the invention of the present application may be conveniently applied to a wide variety of present table constructions without reconstruction.

In Fig. 4 the table is provided with a central elevated portion I5 which is centrally domeshaped and crowned, as indicated upon Fig. 5 at and symmetrically located in respect to the square shaped table base 16.

As shown in Figs. 4 andV 5 the shoulder 'I8 elevates the center portion 'I5 above the relatively horizontal nat portion 80 of the base 16. The

. table top shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may be made up of laminated Wood or of layers of fibre cornbined with a plastic material, said layers of nbre being compressed in a hydraulic press to form a satisfactory table top.

The table top shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may be circularly corrugated as shown in Fig. 2 but such corrugations should be very fine and very closely spaced together, as for example with a depth of 0.005 and a width of 0.035.

'I'he -dome-shaped or crowned elevated center, such as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, aids the sliding of the cardsl and enables the players to pick them up much more easily. It is noted that corner partitions, such as shown in Fig. 1, are not utilized since these may be omitted if desired.

Although the top as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, may be made of varying dimensions and sizes, one which has been satisfactorily utilized had a base portion 16, 30" square and a center elevated portion having a diameter of 24". This embodiment had a shoulder 18 of 5/3 as Well as an elevated center with a crown of at the center point 85.

In certain cases if desired the shoulder I8 as shown in Fig. 5 may be omitted and the crown portion l5 caused to merge into the flat edge portions 80 so that there will be a flat horizontal rim adjacent the players while the center portion of the table will be vdome-shaped and crowned as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5.

It is to be understood that many changes, alterations and modifications may be made in the invention above described and it is intended to include all such as will fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A playing card table having a top and leg construction adapted to be used by a card player, said top being provided with a crowned and dome-shaped elevated central portion symmetrically disposed with regard to the edges of the table, whereby said cards may be most readily manipulated and lifted from the table, said table being of square shape and said elevation being spaced suinciently from the adjacent edges of the table to leave a depressed stacking space-immediately in front of the player, and the height of said elevated portion above the edge of the table being about the thickness of a finger.

2. A playing card table having a top and leg construction adapted to be used by a card player, said top, being provided with an elevated central portion symmetrically disposed with regard to the edges of the table, whereby said cards may be most readily manipul-ated and lifted from the table, said table being of square shape and said elevation being spaced sufficiently from the adjacent edges of the table to leave a depressed stacking space immediately in front of the player, and the height of said elevated portion above the edge of the table being about the thickness of a finger.

CHARLES W. MAYER. 

